GREELEY, Colo. -- A 7-year-old Fort Lupton-area boy is recovering after suffering serious injuries in a pit bull attack.

The dog attacked the unidentified boy while the two were playing stick at the child's home Tuesday night. Weld County Sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Bauer said the dog suddenly turned on the boy, nearly cutting off his left ear and cutting his scalp.

The boy was rushed to the emergency room of a Greeley hospital, where a doctor described the injuries as serious.

David Vasquez, 23, of Fort Lupton was ticketed for unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog. Vasquez had taken the dog over to the boy's house to visit.

Sheriff's officials seized the animal after the incident. Vasquez is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

Coincidentally, the Fort Lupton City Council is set to vote Wednesday night on an ordinance that would require a special license to own a pit bull. A new state law prohibits cities from outright banning pit bulls, so the city is proposing certain restrictions instead.

The only dogs eligible for the new license would be those licensed before May 2003. That means no new pit bulls could legally enter the Weld County city.

Police Chief Jerry Garner said the town wants to act before a pit bull kills someone. But Roger Messick of the Humane Society of Weld County said it's not fair to target a specific breed for regulation.

He said the real issue is correcting bad behavior, no matter what the breed.

Dog Bites Process Server

On a related note, a process server attempting to serve papers to a tenant on South Elliot Street Wednesday morning was attacked by the homeowner's dog. The boxer-mastiff mix broke its chain and leapt, biting the victim in both of his arms.

The victim was taken to a Denver hospital. The extent of his injuries is not known.

The dog was taken away by Denver Animal Control agents.

Doug Kelly, with Denver Animal Control, said that it didn't appear that there was any history off the animal being a dangerous dog.